Pemphigus, herpes gestationis, bullous pemphigoid and dermatitis herpetiformis are blistering skin diseases all of which are associated with so-called autoimmune phenomena. We have identified and characterized serum and in vivo bound antibodies in these diseases. Our efforts have centered around the mechanisms of tissue destruction, ultrastructure, and ultrastructural localization of antibodies. Gastrointestinal abnormalities, similar to those seen in gluten sensitive enteropathy, occur in dermatitis herpetiformis and are under active study. Immunogenetic considerations with regard to HLA associations and the identification of specific B-lymphocyte antigens have provided tools to study the triggering mechanisms involved in the early stages of an abnormal immune response. Another major effort is the study of the effect of sulfones on neutrophilic exudative disorders. As sulfones dramatically alleviate dermatitis herpetiformis and erythema elevatum diutinum we are using animal models of inflammation and serum and blister fluids from patients to study their effect on complement activation, deposition and neutrophilic chemotaxis. Alterations in collagen synthesis in inflammatory disease and identification of alloantigens on epidermal cells are other integral parts of the overall program. BIBLIOGRAPHIC REFERENCES: Katz, S.I., Hertz, K.C., Rogentine, G.N., Strober, W.: The association between HLA-B8 and dermatitis herpetiformis in patients with IgA deposits in skin. Archives of Dermatology 113: 155-156, 1977. Hertz, K.C., Katz, S.I., Maize, J., and Ackerman, A.B.,: Herpes gestationis - A clinico-pathologic study. Arch. Derm. 113: 155-156, 1977.